Harm Holman

• New Social Contract
• Christian Democratic Appeal

Harm Holman
Member of the House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 December 2023
Occupation	Politician dairy farmer

Harm Holman (born 27 July 1957) is a Dutch politician, who has served on the House of Representatives since the November 2023 general election. He was a member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) before switching to New Social Contract (NSC).

Life and career

Holman was born in 1957 in Roden, Drenthe. He worked as a dairy farmer from 1979 to 2021, having succeeded his father in managing the family farm in Steenbergen, Drenthe. A member of the CDA, he held a seat in the Noordenveld Municipal Council, the Noorderzijlvest Water Board, and the Provincial Council of Drenthe (1994–2006). ^[1]

Holman joined New Social Contract (NSC), when it was established by Pieter Omtzigt, formerly of the CDA, ahead of the November 2023 general election. He later characterized the CDA as a "traditional governing party", and he said that he was inspired by Omtzigt's efforts in uncovering the childcare benefits scandal. ^[1] Holman was the party's 20th candidate in November 2023, and he was elected to the House of Representatives. ^[2] His portfolio included agriculture, the Groningen gas field, mining, and competition before the latter two were replaced by nitrogen crisis and animal welfare following the Schoof cabinet's swearing in. ^{[3] [4]}

In an interview, Holman opined that the viability of the agricultural sector was under threat due to years of failing policy from the government, referring to the nitrogen and manure crises. He admitted his complicity as a politician for the CDA. In January 2025, Holman criticized agriculture minister Femke Wiersma (BBB), of his own governing coalition, for failing to articulate a future vision for the sector. He argued that the government should provide a clear plan to mitigate the environmental impact of agriculture, to avert an imminent involuntary reduction in the livestock population. Holman advocated for a transition from intensive to extensive farming, implying a voluntary reduction in the livestock population. ^[1]

House committee assignments

• Committee for Asylum and Migration
• Committee for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature ^[5]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Harm Holman

Year	Body	Party		Pos.	Votes	Result		Ref.
						Party seats	Individual
2023	House of Representatives		New Social Contract	20	1,378	20	Won	[6]

References

1. Holman, Harm (11 January 2025). "'De landbouw stevent af op gedwongen krimp, ook al willen we dat niet'" ['The agricultural sector is heading for a forced contraction, even though we don't want that']. NRC (Interview) (in Dutch). Interviewed by Eppo König and Kees van de Veen. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
2. "Harm Holman (NSC): 'We zijn helemaal vastgelopen met stikstofaanpak'". Nieuwe Oogst (in Dutch). 8 November 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
3. "Woordvoerderschappen Nieuw Sociaal Contract" [New Social Contract spokespersonships](PDF). New Social Contract (in Dutch). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2024 – via Wayback Machine.
4. "Tweede Kamerfractie" [House of Representatives group]. New Social Contract (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 November 2024.
5. "Harm Holman". House of Representatives . Retrieved 26 December 2024.
6. "Proces-verbaal van de uitslag van de verkiezing van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal 2023 d.d. 4 december 2023" [Report of the results of the election of the House of Representatives on 4 December 2023](PDF). Dutch Electoral Council (in Dutch). 4 December 2023. pp. 185–186. Retrieved 21 December 2023.

See also

• List of members of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, 2023–present